Polymer Coatings in 3D-Printed Fluidic Device Channels for Improved Cellular Adherence Prior to Electrical Lysis

Abstract

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a polyjet-based three-dimensional (3D)-printed fluidic device where poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or polystyrene (PS) were used to coat the sides of a fluidic channel within the device to promote adhesion of an immobilized cell layer. The device was designed using computer-aided design software and converted into an .STL file prior to printing. The rigid, transparent material used in the printing process provides an optically transparent path to visualize endothelial cell adherence and supports integration of removable electrodes for electrical cell lysis in a specified portion of the channel (1 mm width × 0.8 mm height × 2 mm length). Through manipulation of channel geometry, a low-voltage power source (500 V max) was used to selectively lyse adhered endothelial cells in a tapered region of the channel. Cell viability was maintained on the device over a 5 day period (98% viable), though cell coverage decreased after day 4 with static media delivery. Optimal lysis potentials were obtained for the two fabricated device geometries, and selective cell clearance was achieved with cell lysis efficiencies of 94 and 96%. The bottleneck of unknown surface properties from proprietary resin use in fabricating 3D-printed materials is overcome through techniques to incorporate PDMS and PS.

Feasibility and Biocompatibility of 3D‐Printed Photopolymerized and Laser Sintered Polymers for Neuronal, Myogenic, and Hepatic Cell Types

“…SL and jetting‐based printing afford the capability to produce sophisticated designs; however, the chemical complexity of the photosensitive resins typically results in non‐biocompatible parts . These devices typically require time‐consuming polymer surface modification in order to facilitate cellular compatibility . Comparable design complexities are attainable when printing with LS; however, the accessibility of such technology has previously been commercially limited.…”

3D-printed microfluidic devices: fabrication, advantages and limitations—a mini review

“…Gross reported a microfluidic device fabricated using a high resolution (30 μm on x and y axes and 16 μm on z axis as said by the manufacturer) 3D-printer. 26 As shown in Figure 5, after removal of the supporting material, large rough ridges can be clearly seen around the inner wall, which may cause issues such as dead volumes and inconsistent surface modifications. Absorption and adsorption are another concern about surface properties of 3D-printed devices.…”

“…For example, Gross successfully coated a layer of PDMS on the inside of a 3D-printed channel for endothelial cell culture and subsequent microscopic observation. 26 …”

Multifaceted polymeric materials in three‐dimensional processing (3DP) technologies: Current progress and prospects

“…Inkjet printing has been used in tissue engineering (bioadhesives, scaffolds, and living cells) and pharmaceutical applications; for example, Gross et al conducted a study on a hybrid polyjet 3D printed device featuring PDMS‐coated microfluidic channels capable of supporting cell culture (bovine pulmonary arterial cells).…”